George Lucas Donates Land To Create Downtown San Anselmo Park

WASHINGTON - FEBRUARY 11: George Lucas attends the reopening celebration at Ford's Theatre on February 11, 2009 in Washington, DC. George Lucas (Photo by Abby Brack/Getty Images)

SAN ANSELMO (CBS 5) – Downtown San Anselmo is about to get a little more community friendly thanks to a donation from local filmmaker George Lucas.

The Star Wars and Indiana Jones creator, who lives a short distance from downtown San Anselmo, has agreed to donate a vacant building he owns in order to create a new park space. The lot sits directly north of the town’s main offices.

The plan stared when Connie Rogers of the Chamber of Commerce asked Lucas if he would be willing to donate the property, which houses 535, 539 and 541 San Anselmo Ave.

“We asked for the property and statues. I love the term ‘ask and you shall receive’ because we did,” said Rogers. “The intent is to have a downtown community town center so that locals and visitors will sit, stay, grab lunch and sit in the town center.”

Lucas agreed to the plan, even fulfilling the request to have a bronze statue of Indiana Jones and Yoda in the park.

Diana McCormac has been working in downtown San Anselmo for 20 years and is thrilled for this change.

“That is incredible for the young children, especially because this is a family-orientated community. And we will see more people here for sure, my hat off (to) George Lucas,” said McCormac.

The Chamber of Commerce is hoping to make quick work of the project, with a goal of opening the park by this December.